Tour de Suisse

Still in the holiday mood, and after coughing and annoying everyone at work with my runny nose all day yesterday I took the day off to clear my lungs of virus particles and cycle to see the Tour de Suisse pass close to Basel, at the top of a cat 3 climb out of Aarau called the Staffelegg. I met up with Piotr in Liestal, and follow the bike trails to Aarau.
The 1:60,000 series of waterproof cycle maps of Switzerland are excellent. They highlight the official long distance routes red and all small, quiet country lanes are coloured green. All these routes are clearly and comprehensively sign posted at all junctions, its really easy to get around. In the countryside the routes are normal roads, but they really pick good quality, low traffic routes.
On the front of the Basel map is a picture of cyclists passing past cherry trees in blossom, and we are constantly passing honesty stalls at the side of the road with cherries by the kilo (5-6F), cherry jam, cherry wine and other foods I couldnt make out. 

We make good progress to Aarau, a really colourful town with brightly patterned window shutters, and very colourful areas underneath overhanging roof canopies, see the picture as I dont know how to describe this!
From Aarau it was easy to follow the route, by Tour de Suisse signs, marshalls, and by now many people out waving their flags and shouting encouragement to us as we ascended. Always the best part of going to see a bike race by bike, but often I get carried away and start riding faster and faster until its obvious I'm over the aerobic threshold and collapse back to push mode.
We get there in good time, but not quite good enough to see the caravan of advertising vehicles an hour before the riders. The hats, flags and water bottles have all  been handed out but its not difficult to pick up a few spares. We find a grassy open area on the hillside 250m from the summit to watch, an old German speaking couple give us their water bottles so thats one souvenir at least. A few are drinking beer or wine, and basically picnicking on the hillside, but its generally quiet atmosphere for this small climb.
A small leading breakaway of 4 riders were 9 minutes clear at this point, after only 47km and as the peloton rumbled by slowly you could tell they weren't bothered about this lead at this stage. Still another 157km for them to go! (The breakaway lasted until 14km to the finish)
You can just make out Cavendish in this photo, he is not enjoying the Tour de Suisse this year as its not a good course for the sprinters. Todays stage had another uphill section towards the finish which left the main sprinter stranded. But Hushovd got his win yesterday, so Cavendish will just have to wait for the flat plains in the Tour de France for his next victory.

For us, we pedalled north to Frick where Piotr got the train back. I carried on to the Rhine, and visited several very impressive towns en route. Stein was the first with its 700 year old bridge crossing the Rhine to Bad Sackingen in Germany, and Rhinefelden was another notable scenic stop this time for ice cream and coke. Watch out for the bike section between Mumpf and Rheinfelden though, this was unsurfaced gravel through the forest. Very nice, but not so good for my race lite tyres.